Galatians Chapter 4

vs 12

Paul is now pleading with the Galatians to copy his way of life, in the same way that he copied their way of life when he was with them. Another example of the lengths Paul would go to to get the gospel out there and listened to, and also of his earnest desire for them to stick to their salvation. The reason he is angry with them and calls them foolish etc is only because he doesn't want them to turn away.

Then out comes this sentence out of the blue "You have done me no wrong". It's phrases like this which just spring up that remind us that these are occasional letters, written at a specific time to a specific audience. It may well be that Paul is answering a letter written to him, and that someone has said that the Galatians had hurt Paul somehow, or that they had wronged him.

This also makes me revise the idea that Galatians was written to a group of churches, because how would a group of churches in the region of Galatia look after him in sickness?

vs 13

Paul may not have even been going to stay in Galatia long, but because he fell ill (either through sickness or getting the crap beaten out of him again) he didn't have a choice. So he made the most of the opportunity he had.

vs 14

Some people think this verse is a reference to the time Paul and Barnabas were called gods in Lystra. But there they were called the names of greek gods - here he was seen as an angel, or as Christ. He probably doesn't mean that literally - but that their treatment and acceptance of him was so great, as if he were Jesus. So Paul obviously would feel close to the church there, because they helped him in a rough time.

vs 15

They were at a stage of great love for Paul, and also of great joy in the Lord.

vs 16

But now they seem to have changed, and might even be against his teaching. At the very least there are those among them stirring up the idea that Paul has done them wrong by teaching them improperly.

vs 17

Now we're hearing about these false teachers. They are trying to bad-mouth Paul so that the church will listen to them, and give them the same allegience.

vs 18

Paul is pointing out that he doesn't expect them only to be zealous when he is around, but that it's ok to be zealous all the time. Only, that zeal should be for good things.

vs 19

Paul is now once again suffering because of their unbelief or their turning from belief.He is less like a tutor (like the OT law) and more like a mother, waiting for Christ to be formed in them so they can be born again.

vs 20

Paul wants to go to them and have his mourning and anger turned into joy, and his criticisms and corrections turned into mutual growth and benefit. He's confused, I guess, about how a church that was so full of zeal and so helpful to him could go off the rails and become such a place that seeks to attack him and follow wrong doctrine.